NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hammonds Plains — Missing person: Help the RCMP find Matthew Gauthier

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 40-year-old Matthew Gauthier, who was last seen this morning at a gas station in Hammonds Plains.

    At approximately 7 a.m., RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment received a report of an attempted arson at a gas station on Hammonds Plains Rd. near the intersection of Kingswood Dr. Officers learned that the man involved, Matthew Gauthier, is believed to be in crisis and is now considered missing.

    Gauthier, is described as medium build. He was las seen wearing jeans, with burns to a pantleg, and a green plaid jacket with a hood.

    The search for Gauthier, assisted by RCMP Police Dog Services, is ongoing.

    When someone goes missing, it has deep and far-reaching impacts for the person and those who know them. We ask that people spread the word through social media respectfully.

    Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Matthew Gauthier is asked to contact police at 902-490-5020. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    File #: 25-15475

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed Raleigh Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 15 Years

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison for cocaine trafficking and firearms possession. On December 5, 2024, Linwood Davis pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance a drug trafficking crime.

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, in June of 2023, law enforcement identified Davis as a source of supply of cocaine in the Raleigh area. After conducting multiple controlled purchases involving Davis, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence on November 3, 2023.  Law enforcement recovered over 1,000 grams of cocaine, approximately $44,470 in U.S. currency, and two firearms, both with large capacity magazines, from Davis’s house.

    Davis has five previous felony drug convictions (2003, 2004, 2007 and 2013) and two previous felony convictions for eluding arrest with a motor vehicle (2003 and 2004).

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Raleigh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey L. Peaden prosecuted the case.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-263-BO-RN.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal alien indicted for smuggling 19 other illegal aliens

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 33-year-old Mexican national has been charged for smuggling 19 people and for illegally re-entering the United States following an order of removal, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Orlando Daniel Hernandez-Cepeda is now in custody and is expected to appear for his arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya III April 10 at 8:45 a.m.

    The criminal complaint originally filed in the case alleges that on March 10, authorities observed a white cargo van drive towards the Rio Grande River and come to a stop. At that time, they observed approximately 20 individuals entering the van, according to the allegations.   

    The charges allege that after the vehicle departed the location, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop. A search allegedly resulted in the discovery of 19 illegal aliens in the back with no legal status to enter or remain in the United States.

    The indictment, returned March 27, alleges authorities also identified Hernandez-Cepeda as a Mexican citizen with no legal status to enter or remain in the United States and had been previously removed.

    Hernandez-Cepeda is charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and faces up to 10 years in federal prison, upon conviction. If convicted of any of the three counts of transporting illegal aliens, he could receive up to five years and another two years upon conviction of illegal reentry. All charges also carry a potential $250,000 maximum fine.

    Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Salazar is prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Stoughton Water Department Employee Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Drinking Water

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    BOSTON – A former Stoughton Water Department employee pleaded guilty today to tampering with the Stoughton drinking water supply.

    Robert J. Bullock, Sr., 60, of Brockton, pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a water system. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2025. Bullock was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 5, 2024, Bullock.

    According to the charging documents, Bullock is a former employee of the Water Department in Stoughton. On the evening of Nov. 29, 2022, Bullock went into one of the Water Department’s pumping stations and turned off the pump that introduces chlorine into drinking water. As a result, insufficiently disinfected water was introduced into the drinking water system.

    The charge of tampering with a water system provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; and Kathryn Rivera, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division in Boston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Stoughton and Brockton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Tolkoff of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mortgage Broker That Ran a Ponzi Scheme, Fraudulently Acquired CARES Act SBA Loans, and Filed a False Tax Return is Sentenced to Federal Prison

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    PROVIDENCE, RI – A Rhode Island mortgage broker who ran a Ponzi scheme with investors’ monies causing millions of dollars in losses, who fraudulently obtained more than $160,000 in COVID-19 pandemic-related SBA loans, and who failed to pay more than $140,000 in taxes due the IRS was sentenced today to more than four years in federal prison and was ordered to pay restitution to his victims, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Joseph Giuttari, owner and operator of Hybrid Capital Group, LLC, THE FENS CO., LLC, and Realty Funding Advisors, LLC, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to 55 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, Giuttari was ordered to pay a fine of $20,000 and to pay restitution to victims of his Ponzi scheme, to SBA loan programs, and to the IRS totaling $4,579,130.95.

    Mr. Giuttari pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024, to charges of wire fraud, theft of government property, and filing a false tax return.  The day after his guilty plea he engaged in brokerage activities in violation of his condition of release.  Upon discovery of his activities, the Court revoked its order of release and remanded him to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.

    Court documents reflect that Joseph Giuttari purported to match borrowers seeking short-term loans with private lenders seeking secured investments in real estate. As part of the scheme, Giuttari served as the clearing house for funds between the borrowers and the investors. In executing his scheme, Giuttari directed investors and closing attorneys to send all or a portion of the loan proceeds directly to him through his multiple business entities and business bank accounts. Instead of forwarding these funds to borrowers as represented to the investors, Giuttari used the money personally or to repay earlier investors who were seeking a return on their investments.

    Additionally, Giuttari fraudulently acquired $167,800 in COVID-19 pandemic Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for Hybrid Capital Group and THE FENS CO that he was not entitled to receive, and he falsely stated on his 2019 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return that his total income was $22,176, when in fact it was at least $541,000, thus failing to pay $140,102 due the IRS.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sandra R. Hebert.

    The matter was investigated by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Avon, New York, Police Trainee Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography and Cyberstalking

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Casey Medina, 33, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Meredith A. Vacca to possession of child pornography and cyberstalking, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that on August 22, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant on Medina’s cellular telephone. During a forensic extraction and a manual review of the phone, approximately 360 images of child pornography the defendant had received over a social media platform were recovered. At least one image involved a prepubescent child being subjected to violence.

    In addition, between May and August 2024, Medina disseminated and posted sexually explicit photographs that had been edited to falsely depict an individual (victim) engaged in sexually explicit activity to various social media platforms and public websites via the internet. The photographs depicted the victim’s face superimposed on pornographic images made to appear as if she was engaged in sexual intercourse. Beginning in May 2024, over the course of approximately 26 days, and again between June 2024 and July 2024, Medina sent, and recruited others via the internet to send, threatening and harassing text messages to the victim. The messages included threats to kidnap, rape, sexually abuse, and kill her, as well as including the sexually explicit images with her face superimposed on them. In many instances, Medina included identifying information while disseminating the victim’s images, including her hometown and place of work.

    The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Onondaga County, NY, Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Tobias Shelley, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.         

    Sentencing is scheduled for August 4, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., before Judge Vacca.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Financial Advisor Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Multimillion-Dollar Fraud Scheme

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    EL PASO, Texas – A former Morgan Stanley financial advisor in El Paso was sentenced in a federal court today to 144 months in prison for committing a multi-million dollar fraud scheme.

    According to court documents, from May 2018 to August 2021, Jesus Rodriguez de la Cruz, 46, defrauded his financial services employer, Morgan Stanley, and clients of money through materially false pretenses, representations and promises. Rodriguez de la Cruz orchestrated fraudulent transfers of funds from the bank accounts of Morgan Stanley and clients to other bank accounts for his own benefit.

    In one instance, Rodriguez de la Cruz created false communications and documents impersonating a client and submitted them to Morgan Stanley personnel to cause fraudulent transfers on the client’s line of credit account for personal profit. One of these included a form that falsely claimed the client had verbally authorized the transfer of $48,575.36 for the purchase of real estate in El Paso. Relying on the documentation, Morgan Stanley initiated the wire transfer from the client’s account to an account at a separate financial institution belonging to one of Rodriguez de la Cruz’s family members.

    One fraudulent transfer of approximately $125,000 from a client’s account to an account at another financial institution facilitated Rodriguez de la Cruz’s purchase of a Lamborghini.

    Rodriguez de la Cruz committed similar acts using other Morgan Stanley client accounts. In all, Morgan Stanley suffered a total loss of $5,554,968.10 due to Rodriguez de la Cruz’s scheme. Additionally, Rodriguez de la Cruz did not report any of the embezzled funds as income on his tax returns from 2017 through 2021, causing a loss of $408,055 for the IRS.

    Rodriguez de la Cruz was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2023 and arrested Jan. 12, 2024. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 5, 2024, to one count of wire fraud, one count of engaging in a monetary transaction over $10,000 using criminally derived proceeds, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of making and subscribing a false income tax return.

    “This defendant abused the trust of his clients and his responsibilities as a financial advisory to steal millions of dollars in customer funds in order to enrich himself,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “Today’s sentence of more than a decade in federal prison demonstrates that perpetrators of fraud in this district will be investigated and brought to justice.”

    “The defendant exploited his position of trust as a financial advisor to deceive both his clients and employer for personal gain. Today’s sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to pursuing those who abuse their positions for financial fraud and ensuring they are held accountable,” said John Morales, FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge. “We are grateful for the invaluable collaboration of our partners at the Internal Revenue Service, whose continued assistance is vital in protecting our communities from greed and financial crimes.”

    “Rodriguez is the epitome of criminals fueled by greed that destroy the trust we place in those who handle our personal finances. He stole from his employer, his clients, and even personally recruited a victim to trust him as her financial advisor so he could hijack her accounts, after stealing her identity,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan, of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “These complex financial schemes are why law enforcement agencies, like IRS-CI and the FBI, team up to help bring justice to victims and deter future criminals, like Rodriguez, from violating your trust.”

    The FBI and IRS-CI investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Calve and Adrian Gallegos prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Oklahoma Man Sentenced to 45 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Children

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIDLAND, Texas – An Oklahoma man was sentenced in a federal court in Midland to 540 months in prison for charges related to sexual exploitation of children.

    According to court documents, on Jan. 30, 2024, Jonathon Chase Russell, 36, of Elk City, posted in a messaging app 15 images that depicted two minor females engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The next day, Russell sent three of the images to an undercover federal investigator, stating that the two minors were three and 11 years old. Further investigation led FBI agents to identify Russell’s IP addresses and locate him at a hotel in Midland. On Feb. 8, 2024, agents executed a warrant on his hotel room, where they discovered pairs of children’s underwear and a green tactical backpack that contained sexual devices. Agents also discovered a smartphone, which had been hidden underneath a refrigerator and which forensic examination revealed contained a substantial collection of images depicting sexual abuse of minor children. 

    The Western District of Texas filed a three-count indictment on Feb. 28, 2024, charging Russell with possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Russell was also indicted in the Western District of Oklahoma on April 3, 2024, for one count of production of visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. His Oklahoma case was transferred to Midland, and on Aug. 19, 2024, Russell pleaded guilty to the count charged in the Western District of Oklahoma indictment and to all three counts charged in the Western District of Texas via a superseding indictment.

    “The lengthy sentence imposed in this case reflects the immense damage this individual inflicted on multiple children, who will be plagued by these experiences for the rest of their lives,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “Along with our law enforcement partners and, when necessary, across districts, we will continue to hold accountable the predators who harm the lives of children through illicit sexual crimes.”

    “This defendant’s abhorrent behavior has been put to an end thanks to cooperation between federal prosecutors and law enforcement across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “The lengthy sentence imposed is yet another example of the Department’s focus on protecting children and serving justice to those who seek to target the most vulnerable in our communities.”

    “The significant sentence imposed on Jonathan Chase Russell sends a clear message that there are serious consequences for those individuals who exploit children. Russell will serve the next 45 years in federal prison for his incomprehensible acts,” said John Morales, FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge. “We remain committed in working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who victimize the most vulnerable members of our society, our children, from infants to toddlers to young children to teenagers, we will hunt you down and serve justice for these horrendous crimes.”

    The FBI investigated the case with assistance of the Elk City Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Haywood prosecuted the case for the Western District of Texas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ganz prosecuted the Western District of Oklahoma’s case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ramah Man Faces Federal Charges for Roadside Shooting

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Ramah man is facing charges in federal court for allegedly shooting at a vehicle, injuring one person.

    According to court documents, on March 18, 2025, a vehicle driven by John Doe swerved to avoid a collision with a blue Jeep driven by Leon Garcia, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. After the near-miss, John Doe followed Garcia‘s vehicle to a residence on the Ramah Navajo Reservation. There, Garcia allegedly exited his Jeep armed with a rifle and fired multiple shots at John Doe’s car. As John Doe attempted to turn the vehicle around, Garcia allegedly shot at it multiple times. Garcia also fired again as the vehicle drove away.

    Garcia is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Garcia faces up to 10 years in prison.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Ramah-Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: District Man Indicted on Felony Charges for Strangulation and Kicking of Pregnant Woman on New Year’s Day

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Byron Ajanel, 24, of Washington, D.C., was indicted on March 26, 2025 on felony charges for strangulation, assault with significant bodily injury, and threats stemming from his violent attack on his pregnant former girlfriend, U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced. 

               Ajanel is scheduled to be arraigned on May 13, 2025, at a hearing before the Honorable Judith Pipe. 

               According to the government’s evidence, on January 1, 2025, the defendant got into an argument with the victim at her house in DC in front of  their one-year-old daughter.  The argument escalated into a physical assault that included the defendant kicking the victim into a wall, strangling her with both hands around her neck, punching her in the face, and shoving his foot into her jaw.  While he was attacking her, he repeatedly threatened to kill her.  At the time of the attack, the defendant was aware that the victim was pregnant with their second child.

               The defendant’s charges include strangulation, which the D.C. Council’s Secure D.C. Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024 made a felony offense.  Strangulation is widely recognized as one of the most lethal forms of intimate partner violence.  A major strangulation study in San Diego, which is frequently cited, found: “Many victims suffer internal injuries, including permanent brain damage.  Signs and symptoms do exist and can be documented even without visible injury… Most abusers do not strangle to kill.  They strangle to show they can kill.  Victims often suffer major long-term emotional and physical impacts. Surviving victims are much more likely to die later if their abuser has strangled them.”  The study also noted that “…..the odds of becoming a victim of attempted homicide increased by 700%, and the odds of becoming a homicide victim increased by 800%, among women who had been strangled by their partner.”

                This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Lieberman.

               An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Deforest Business Owner Sentenced to Nine Years for Cocaine Trafficking

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin announced that Luis Angel Rios, 50, of DeForest, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 9 years in federal prison for attempting to distribute a large quantity of cocaine and maintaining a place for storing and distributing cocaine. Rios pleaded guilty to these charges on January 10, 2025.

    In late 2022 and early 2023, investigators with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating a cocaine trafficking organization operating in Dane County. During an investigation that included the interception of communications between Rios and other participants in the trafficking, investigators determined that Rios was obtaining and selling multiple kilograms of cocaine, and at times cooperating with another local kilogram-level cocaine trafficker to assist in maintaining a drug supply. On June 1, 2023, as a result of phone interceptions and surveillance, investigators intercepted a half-kilogram delivery of cocaine intended for one of Rios’s customers.

    Rios was the owner of a cleaning and maintenance business in DeForest. During the sentencing, Judge Peterson credited Rios with being a hard-working family man, with no criminal history, but observed that the investigation demonstrated that he also applied his hard-working efforts to managing his ability to secure and distribute large quantities of cocaine. The court found that Rios brought more than 15 kilograms of cocaine into the community in a short period of time, which exploited those who had addictions and served to feed other crimes created by drug use.

    Rios’s co-defendant, Braulio Martinez Salazar, was sentenced by Judge Peterson on March 11, 2025, to 3 years for his role in the cocaine trafficking operation.   

    The charges against Rios were the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, and Madison Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Anderson and William M. Levins prosecuted this case.

    The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dual Pakistani-Canadian National Arrested for Years-Long Scheme to Circumvent U.S. Export Control Laws

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Defendants Allegedly Smuggled Millions of Dollars’ Worth of U.S. Goods and Technology to Entities Associated with Pakistan’s Military and Weapons Programs

    An indictment was unsealed yesterday charging Mohammad Jawaid Aziz, also known as Jawaid Aziz Siddiqui and Jay Siddiqui, 67, of Pakistan and Canada, with conspiracy to violate U.S. export laws and violating U.S. export laws. Siddiqui was arrested on March 21 in the Western District of Washington while attempting to cross into the United States from Canada. He remains detained, pending transfer to the District of Minnesota.

    As alleged, from as early as 2003 through approximately March 2019, Siddiqui operated an illicit procurement network through his Canada-based company Diversified Technology Services. The purpose of the network was to obtain U.S.-origin goods on behalf of prohibited entities in Pakistan that were associated with the country’s nuclear, missile, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programs.

    According to the indictment, Siddiqui, while operating through Diversified Technology Services, procured various goods – including sensitive and restricted items subject to export administration regulations (EAR) and those on the Commerce Control List – from U.S. companies on behalf of the restricted entities in Pakistan. As alleged, Siddiqui and his co-conspirators worked to conceal the true end-users of the goods from U.S. companies, often using front companies and transshipping goods through third countries to evade detection.

    Siddiqui is charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Export Control Reform Act, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison; and violating the Export Control Reform Act, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Homeland Security Investigations Minneapolis, the FBI Minneapolis Field Office, and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Chicago Field Office are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Endicott for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney Nicholas Hunter of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. They received assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jensen from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington and the Department’s Office of International Affairs.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Traffic Stop in Southeast D.C. Leads to Indictment, Firearm Recovery, and Drug Seizure

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

              WASHINGTON – Ikea Gartrell, 35, of Washington D.C., has been indicted on federal gun charges in the latest case to be federally adopted as part of the “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

              Gartrell was indicted on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, following her March 1st arrest in Southeast D.C.

              According to court documents, on March 1, 2025, at approximately 4:49 p.m., Metropolitan Police Department personnel conducted a traffic stop in the 900 block of Barnaby Street SE, Washington, D.C. Officers then made contact with the driver, later identified as Ikea Gartrell, who was allegedly found to be operating without a valid license.

              During the stop, it is alleged that an open container of alcohol was observed, prompting officers to ask all occupants to exit the vehicle. A subsequent investigation led to the discovery of a loaded, unregistered firearm on Gartrell’s person. Gartrell was placed under arrest for Carrying a Pistol Without a License (CPWL) and no permit.

              Records indicated Gartrell had a prior felony conviction.

              The investigation is ongoing.

              The ATF and MPD are investigating this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Helfand.

              This case is part of Make DC Safe Again, a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

              An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ##

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Raleigh Man Sentenced to 7.5 Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm as a Felon

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced Thursday to 90 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Christopher Ivan White, age 58, pled guilty to the charge on December 19, 2024.

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, on the afternoon of April 8, 2024, White shot another man in front of Renegade Motors, located at 2621 S. Wilmington Street in Raleigh.  Raleigh Police officers responded to the scene of the shooting where the victim was being treated by emergency medical services for a gunshot wound to the left thigh.  White fled the scene and attempted to toss away the firearm. Raleigh Police searched the surrounding area and located White and the firearm.  White was also found in possession of cocaine.   

    White was a felon and prohibited to own or possess a firearm.  His prior felony convictions include breaking and entering, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and embezzlement.

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Raleigh Police investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Nokes and Evelyn S. Yarborough prosecuted the case.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-00297.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Recidivist Receives 7 Years in Prison for Firearms Possession and Drug Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Raleigh, N.C. – A Goldsboro man was sentenced Thursday to 5 years in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Arraqib Hardy, 33, pled guilty to the charge on December 16, 2024.   Hardy received an additional 2 years in federal prison for committing this offense while on federal supervised release for the offenses of possessing a stolen firearm (aiding and abetting) and discharging a firearm in a school zone (aiding and abetting). Hardy received a total sentence of 7 years.

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, Goldsboro Police officers were conducting surveillance on a convenience store parking lot due to possible drug activity on June 15, 2023.  Officers observed Hardy engage in what appeared to be hand-to-hand drug transactions and arrested him.  Police located a bag with a loaded 9mm handgun, marijuana, fentanyl, and $365 on Hardy.  

    According to law enforcement, Hardy was a member of the United Blood Nation gang.  Hardy had prior convictions in 2013 for discharging a weapon into an occupied or moving vehicle. 

    This investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Goldsboro Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:23-CR-00120.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: GOVERNMENT RECEIVES $100,000 TO RESOLVE FRAUDULENT PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM LOAN

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Mac C. Johnson and a company he owned and operated, Mac Johnson & Sons Dumpster, Crane & Demolition, LLC, agreed to pay $100,000 to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly providing false information in support of a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan application. 

    In 2019, Johnson was sentenced to one year and a day in prison after pleading guilty to tax fraud, wire fraud, structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements, and harboring undocumented aliens.

    Following his conviction, Johnson knowingly submitted false claims to the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) in support of a PPP loan made to Defendant Mac Johnson & Sons Dumpster, Crane & Demolition, LLC. Specifically, in the April 2020 loan application, Johnson failed to report that the owner of the company had been convicted of a felony within the prior five years. Knowing that his company was ineligible to participate in the PPP, Johnson used false information to secure a loan for $48,514. 

    “This settlement, which is more than twice the fraudulently obtained amount, reflects the diligence and determination we will use to pursue businesses who defraud the government,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle Spaven. “Here, a defendant who was punished for fraud and harboring aliens continued to take funds unlawfully.  Our Civil Division ensured that this fraudster will not benefit from what rightfully belongs to the American people.” 

    This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Ann Couch and Marie Moyle from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, with assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

    The criminal matter is detailed at the following link:  https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/alachua-county-man-sentenced-prison-harboring-undocumented-aliens-and-evading-workers

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jacksonville Felon Sentenced To Federal Prison For Unlawful Possession Of A Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Jonathan Scott Thompson (45, Jacksonville) to 33 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Thompson to forfeit his interest in the firearm that he possessed. Thompson pleaded guilty on December 20, 2024.

    According to court documents, on March 15, 2024, officers from the Jacksonville Beach Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance after a witness called 911 to report that Thompson was dragging a woman and throwing her to the ground. The victim and Thompson then argued inside a vehicle at the scene, and at some point, Thompson threw her down into the car and located a Glock semi-automatic pistol. The victim saw the firearm in his hands. Officers arrived at the scene and recovered the loaded firearm inside the vehicle. At the time, Thompson had multiple prior felony convictions, including armed burglary and burglary of a conveyance. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Beach Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lasry.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Found Guilty of Using His Tax Prep Clients’ Identities to Defraud the Federal Government of Pandemic Funding

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CLEVELAND – A federal jury has convicted Mustafa Ayoub Diab, 41, of Ravenna, Ohio, of orchestrating a financial conspiracy that defrauded the U.S. government of pandemic benefits. After an approximately week-long trial, Diab was found guilty on 12 counts of theft of government funds, 12 counts of bank fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud, 6 counts of aggravated identity theft, and 1 count each of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud and to launder monetary instruments.

    According to court documents, Diab owned and operated a tax return preparation business in Akron, Ohio. Along with his co-conspirator, Elizabeth Lorraine Robinson, 33, of Ravenna, the couple developed a scheme to take advantage of government programs that expanded unemployment and small business benefits that became available during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    One such program, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, was expanded to individuals who otherwise did not qualify for regular benefits. Additionally, the Paycheck Protection Program, was administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration and provided resources and assistance to small businesses to cover payroll, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred which were tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. Diab exploited both of these programs for his benefit.

    From around, June 2020 to August 2021, Diab submitted fraudulent applications for pandemic unemployment benefits and small business assistance for many of his tax preparation business clients. Without their knowledge, he lied about their employment, or about being small business owners, on the applications so they would qualify to receive pandemic funds and benefits.

    Investigators also discovered that Diab opened bank accounts in his clients’ names to receive the pandemic benefit funds via direct deposit, which the clients did not have access to, along with accounts in the names of Robinson and Diab’s sister. When the pandemic relief funds were deposited into these accounts, he immediately withdrew the funds in cash for his personal use. With the cash, Diab bought real estate, cars and took international trips. In evidence presented to the jury at trial, Diab submitted fraudulent applications in the names of nearly 80 victims, causing the federal government to pay out more than $1.2 million in pandemic benefits that were deposited into the various bank accounts that Diab controlled.

    Sentencing is scheduled for July 28, 2025. Diab faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Robinson pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud, bank fraud, and theft of government funds in February and is currently awaiting sentencing. She also faces up to 30 years in prison.

    The FBI Akron Division investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vanessa V. Healy and Brenna L. Fasko prosecuted that case for the Northern District of Ohio.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of Fentanyl Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Drug trafficking organization operated in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island

    BOSTON – A Providence, R.I. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for leading a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

    Estarlin Ortiz-Alcantara, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In December 2023, Ortiz-Alcantara pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Ortiz-Alcantara was charged in July 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022.

    Between approximately February 2021 and July 2022, Ortiz-Alcantara managed a DTO that distributed fentanyl in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. As part of his DTO’s operations, Ortiz-Alcantara controlled a stash house in Fall River to store, process and distribute fentanyl and employ numerous individuals who assisted with mixing, packaging and distributing fentanyl. During a search of Ortiz-Alcantara’s stash house in July 2022, more than 12 kilograms of fentanyl, as well as items consistent with running a fentanyl business, including blenders, a hydraulic press and baggies were seized.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira; and Fairhaven Police Chief Michael J. Myers made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Homeland Security Investigations; Bristol County Sherriff’s Office; and the Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Scituate, Yarmouth, Providence (R.I.) and West Warwick (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Meridian Man Sentenced to 74 months for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    Jackson, MS – A Meridian, MS man was sentenced today to 74 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

    According to court documents, Lester Landrum, 42, while under state correctional supervision as a probationer was found in possession of a firearm during an operation led by the East Mississippi Drug Task Force in Meridian. Landrum pleaded guilty to the charged conduct on December 16, 2024. In delivering the sentence, the Court ordered that the 74-month sentence for the instant offense run consecutive to the unfinished term of his prior state sentence. 

    Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement.

    The ATF and the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Project to reduce drug-related crime gather at East London event

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A scheme aimed at reducing drug-related deaths and offending convened police and partners at a professional networking event to showcase the results achieved so far and plan for the future.

    Project ADDER (Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement and Recovery) is a government programme set up in 2021 to address the issues of drug addiction and stop the supply of illicit drugs in the hardest-hit local authority areas across England and Wales.

    The North East ADDER expo, which was hosted on Wednesday, 19March at West Ham United Football Club’s London Stadium, highlighted the work being done by all the organisations involved. Since 2024, Project ADDER has expanded across London where there is a dedicated ADDER team serving every borough.

    The project also aims to also reduce the prevalence of drug use as well as disrupt high-harm criminals and networks involved in middle market drug/firearms supply and importation.

    Since February 2024, the North East Project ADDER team have achieved the following:

    • Drug dogs deployments – 12 operations at transport hubs across Newham and Waltham Forest, where 37 arrests were made for offences including possession of offensive weapons, theft and possession of Class A drugs.
    • 22 Community Protection Warnings and 12 Community Protection Notice (CPN) issued with drugs awareness session included.
    • More than 50 operations, supported by Project ADDER, to tackle drug use and supply. This has included the dismantling of a number of county drug lines, drugs and weapons have been seized and anumber of vulnerable persons including several children safeguarded as a result.
    • A total of 579 searches for drugs have taken place and signposting to support services offered.

    This event included speeches from Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward, physician and academic Professor Dame Carol Black, who was previously appointed by the Government to lead a review examining the harm that drugs cause while also looking at prevention, treatment and recovery strategy.

    The event was also important for the Met to listen to the lived experiences of drug support workers and former service users with thought provoking dialogue on what all agencies and communities need to do in the area.

    A key way in which Project ADDER has disrupted the drugs trade is by educating the public, specifically young people within our communities about the dangers of drug use and addiction.

    The Met has hosted more than 100 drug awareness sessions across faith venues and schools as well as police stations, reaching thousands of students, members of the community, and police officers.

    Chief Inspector Farhan Asghar, who polices the local area, said: “Project ADDER teams are dedicated to tackling substance misuse and linked offending.

    “There is no one-size fits all approach in solving this issue. Whether it be law enforcement operations in drug hotspots, community/school drug awareness inputs or collaborative initiatives with partners like Change Grow Live (CGL), we will continue to adapt and develop ways in which we support those experiencing substance misuse, improving referrals into drug treatment while also targeting drug offenders to make our streets safer.”

    The Project ADDER team will continue their work in the future and plays a key part in the New Met for London plan of delivering more trust, less crime and higher standards of policing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Starkville Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Violating Federal Firearms Laws

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    Greenville, MS – A Starkville man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for violation of federal firearms laws.

    According to court documents, Antonio Johnson, 49, pled guilty to possession of one or more firearms by a previously convicted felon as well as possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Johnson today to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Johnson was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals following sentencing.

    “The public has every right to expect repeat offenders to receive significant sentences, and this defendant will now have 10 years in a federal prison to reconsider his actions,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “AUSA Robert Mims and our partners at the FBI, ATF and Starkville Police Department worked seamlessly to bring justice to an individual who earned every day of this sentence.”

    “Protecting the safety of our communities is one of the cornerstones of what ATF seeks to accomplish every day,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “To convicted felons and others making our streets unsafe with gun violence and drugs – law enforcement is here. No matter how long it takes, we will investigate, arrest, prosecute and ensure you are held accountable for your actions.”

    “Mr. Johnson’s sentencing demonstrates a steadfast commitment of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to protect the public from those individuals who illegally possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes,” stated FBI Jackson Field Office Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff. “Criminals possessing and using firearms in the commission of any crime are threats to our communities, for those who seek to threaten and intimidate Mississippians through these egregious crimes will be aggressively pursued by the FBI and brought to justice.  We will continue our collective efforts through the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, to reduce violent crime and gun violence in our communities across Mississippi.”

    “Strong convictions matter; they have a lasting impact and require hard work,” said Chief Mark Ballard of the Starkville Police Department. “Our community is safer as a result of these agencies’ efforts. On behalf of the Starkville Police Department, we are very thankful for our working relationship with FBI Jackson, the ATF New Orleans, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.”

    This case was investigated by the FBI, the Starkville Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Mims prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: TWO ZACHARY MEN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR THEFT OF TWELVE FIREARMS

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

     Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Keyshawn Newman, age 24, of Zachary, Louisiana, to 39 months in federal prison and Ransom Parker, age 27, of Zachary, Louisiana, to 70 months in federal prison following their convictions for theft of firearms from a business licensed to engage in the business of dealing in firearms. The Court further sentenced both men to serve three years of supervised release following their terms of imprisonment.

    According to admissions made as part of their guilty pleas, on June 19, 2023, the owner of Thompson Creek Sporting Goods observed four individuals wearing masks and hoodie-type sweatshirts via live-feed surveillance footage from a camera mounted on the outside rear of his business. The owner contacted the Jackson Police Department, who responded to the store. Prior to police arrival, the owner received an alarm notification indicating that the front door had been breached.

    The first responding officer arrived shortly after the alarm notification and observed four suspects run from the business carrying firearms. The suspects were observed running in different directions and were dropping firearms as they ran. As more police officers arrived in the area, they set up a perimeter and began searching the area for the suspects. Twelve firearms were taken from the store’s inventory. A total of ten firearms were located on the ground at various locations in the directions that the suspects fled.

    On-scene investigators were notified that a maintenance worker at East Mental Hospital located a suspicious male inside the powerhouse station of the facility, which was approximately six miles from the store. Officers located the individual and identified him as Newman. Newman ultimately admitted to being involved with the burglary.

    Parker was subsequently identified by two co-defendants as being involved in the burglary and was the driver of the vehicle used. Parker ultimately admitted to participating in the burglary and driving the vehicle.

    The twelve firearms recovered were identified as a CMMG, model MK4, 4.6×30 caliber pistol; Armalite, model M-15, 5.56 caliber rifle; Arsenal, model SAM-5, 5.56 caliber rifle; Diamondback, model DB-15, 5.56 caliber rifle; Diamondback, model DB-15, 5.56 caliber rifle; Hi-Point, model 1095, 10mm caliber rifle; Radom, model Sporter, 7.62×39 caliber rifle; Riley Defense, model RAK74, 5.45×39 caliber rifle; Rock Island Armory, model VR80, 12-gauge shotgun; Ruger, model LC Carbine, 5.7×28 caliber rifle; Ruger, model AR556, 300 Blackout caliber rifle; and a Diamondback, model DB-15, 5.56 caliber rifle.

    This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Jackson Police Department, and East Feliciana Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eli J. Abad. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man who glorifed Lee Rigby murder recalled to prison after Met Counter Terrorism investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command have ensured that a registered terrorist offender who glorified the murder of Lee Rigby has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years’ in prison after he breached his notification requirements.

    Royal Barnes 34 (28.08.90) was convicted in March 2014 of inciting terrorism overseas and three counts of transmitting a terrorist publication following the murder of Lee Rigby, a British soldier, in Woolwich.

    Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “Monitoring those convicted of terrorism-related crimes is a key part of our work to ensure that they are not posing any further risk to the public.

    “Terrorism offenders are subject to strict notification requirements once they have completed their sentences, and we are proactive in making sure they are sticking to these. As this case shows we will not hesitate to take action should we identify any breaches and it should also send a message that there are serious consequences for those who do so.”

    Barnes was sentenced to five years and four months in jail in 2014 after he produced videos, posted on Youtube, showing footage of the scene and calling for British-based Muslims to fight the government.

    He was released from prison in September 2016, but recalled in June 2017 for breaching his licence when he was found in possession of an iPhone which he hadn’t notified officers about. He was then released again in May 2019 and was subject to a number of ‘Part 4’ notification requirements.

    On 26 October 2023 he was arrested for breaches of these notification requirements relating to use of a vehicle, mobile phone and email account. He was also found to have been involved in fraudulent activity related to possession of bank cards.

    He pleaded guilty to these offences on 25 October last year and was sentenced on 28 March, at the Old Bailey, to three-and-a-half years in prison for the two breaches and a further 12 months, to be served consecutively, for the fraud offence.

    He must serve at least two thirds of his sentence in custody before being referred to a parole board.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Around the Air Force: Money-Saving Microvane Tech, Total Force Pilot Retention, SPAFORGEN

    Source: United States Air Force

    In this week’s look Around the Air Force, C-17 microvane technology saves money and fuel for aircraft, Total Force Shared Service offers flexibility to active-duty pilots interested in the Reserve or Guard and SPAFORGEN ensures Guardians are ready for the high-end fight.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Universal City Man Will Spend 60 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Children

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – A Universal City man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 720 months in prison for three charges related to sexual exploitation of children.

    According to court documents, Christopher Lee Castano, 44, accessed and transferred child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to and from external devices using his employer’s computer system while at a facility in San Antonio. The employer contacted the FBI in August 2022, after having discovered that Castano possessed files with names associated with child pornography on four removable devices since January 2022. On Aug. 3, 2022, an employee observed the files as Castano connected the external devices to the employer’s computers.

    A federal search warrant led to the search of Castano’s work area and his devices, and an investigation revealed CSAM produced by Castano between 2015 and 2018 when the female child victim in the images was 11-14 years old. FBI personnel also located multiple CSAM images and videos depicting another minor female produced around 2016 when that victim was between the ages of five and 26 months old. A graphic CSAM video of Castano’s was produced using his cell phone on July 21, 2018, depicting the second child victim when she was just over two years old.

    Castano has remained in federal custody since his arrest on Aug. 10, 2022. He was indicted for 13-counts on Sept. 7, 2022 and pleaded guilty to three counts on Oct. 12, 2023.

    In addition to his 60-year prison sentence, Castano was also ordered to pay restitution to two child victims in the amount of $50,000 each and another $5,000 each to five additional victims who were identified through the investigation.

    “Unless he lives well into his hundreds, this child predator is rightfully going to serve what is essentially a life sentence for the heinous crimes he has committed against at least half a dozen children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “I thank Castano’s employer for reporting his actions to our partners at the FBI, who helped us achieve this just sentence. While this does not erase what the child victims endured, we hope that they find some solace in the fact that Castano is no longer a threat to anyone.”

    “Castano heinously abused some of the most vulnerable among us. This sentence properly reflects the seriousness of his crimes and will hopefully provide some semblance of justice for his victims. The FBI is committed to protecting our children and relentlessly pursuing those who would cause them harm,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp for the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “We want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their partnership and dedication to this important mission.”

    The FBI investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: C-12 Aircraft Vital for Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Logistics

    Source: United States Navy

    NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — The C-12 Huron, a twin-engine turboprop aircraft, plays a critical logistical role in supporting operations at the isolated Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. Its function extends beyond routine transportation, serving as a lifeline for personnel and cargo movement.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group Completes Arduous Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training

    Source: United States Navy

    ATLANTIC OCEAN – The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (IWO ARG) successfully completed Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training, a rigorous multi-domain exercise designed to increase the tactical readiness and proficiency of surface units. Led by the Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC), this at-sea training enhanced the IWO ARGs warfighting effectiveness and interoperability and sharpened its ability to operate in high-end maritime conflict.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Japan, Philippines and United States Conduct Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    The Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force and the United States Navy, demonstrating a collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific, conducted a multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone, March 28, 2025.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nearly 60,000 drink and drug tests conducted in seasonal crackdown

    Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council

    Double number of drivers arrested than previous years

    • 8,648 arrests made for drink and drug driving offences 
    • Positive results for drink driving remain below 10% 
    • Breath tests following a collision show nearly 15% motorists testing positive for alcohol, at its highest since 2019 
    • Drug wipes result in positive test results of over 42% 

    Police officers proactively undertook 58,675 roadside tests for drink and/or drugs on drivers across the UK over the festive period in 2024 (1 Dec 2024 – 1 Jan 2025) as part of the nationally coordinated Operation Limit crackdown which sees 45 police forces across England, Wales and Northern Ireland working together.  

    Intelligence and hotspot-led, roadside breath tests for alcohol saw nearly 10% of drivers testing positive (9.7%) with drug wipes resulting in 42.2% positive tests.  

    Shockingly, 2,782 drivers were arrested for both drink and drug driving offences, almost double the number from previous years’ national operations. While many tests during Op Limit are proactive stops, tests following a collision showed 14.5% motorists testing positive for alcohol, the highest in these circumstances since 2019. Unfortunately this trend aligns with data from the Department for Transport (DfT) which also shows a rise in alcohol-related collisions.  

    The figures prompt warnings from senior officers about the risks of driving under the influence, a ‘selfish and reckless’ decision that costs too many lives each year.  

    Men continue to be disproportionately represented, making up 85% of the offences for driving under the influence of drink or drugs and 79% of offenders were 25 years of age or older.  

    Chief Superintendent Marc Clothier is National Police Chiefs’ Council Operational Lead for Operation Limit. He said: 

    “In 2023, 19.6% of fatal collisions were assigned at least one drink or drugs related factor. That’s pretty much 20% of road deaths caused by drink or drugs, with a significant number occurring in December – two facts which are completely unacceptable and which make Op Limit so important.  

    “Now in its third year of running as a national operation, the Christmas drink and drug driving crackdown brings together all police forces in a positive coordinated effort to tackle this driving behaviour. 

    “The statistics of positive results and the demographics of offenders remain consistent and what is encouraging is to see the dedication and innovation which policing puts into this operation across the country. Many forces collaborate on a regional level, working cross border and strengthening their resources as a result.  

    “In addition, we are seeing the numbers of collisions in December specifically as a result of drink or drug driving reduce each year, remaining consistently at the levels experienced during Covid when far less drivers were on the roads. While there will be many factors impacting this fall, we can certainly draw a link between policing’s increased focus and enforcement activity to tackle drink and drug driving over this time of year.   

    “The decision to get behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol or drugs is reckless and selfish and it will not be tolerated. Not only do you risk your own life but you seriously endanger everyone else on the road and the tragic impact of your decision will be felt by individuals, families, friends and whole communities.” 

    Collisions in December where drink and drug driving is a factor 

    Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) lead for drink and drug driving, Police and Crime Commissioner for Durham, Joy Allen said:   

    “With responsibility for supporting victims, PCCs see and deal with the devastating impact of drink and drug driving. 

    “The Operation Limit results show that more intensive enforcement works. We want to see more resource invested in roads policing and the appropriate use of tougher penalties for drink and drug driving, including immediate bans and full cost recovery of the costs from offenders, to act as a greater deterrent and protect the public.” 

    Key statistics not included in report 
    • A total of 8,203 drivers were caught drink or drug driving during the period of enforcement activity, with 60% (4,940) drink drive offences detected and 40% (3,263) drug drive offences detected. A total of 74,456 vehicles were stopped during this campaign with 50,948 breath tests administered, resulting in 4,940 drivers testing positive, failed or refused to provide. 
    • A total of 7,112 breath tests were administered following a collision, with 1,030 drivers committing a drink drive offence following a collision. 14.5% motorists tested positive for alcohol following a collision. This percentage is the highest it has been since 2019. 
    Contextual data  

    Drug driving: 

    • In 2022, most drivers with detected drugs had illegal substances in their system (127), followed by query drugs (61) and prescribed drugs (27). Query drugs refer to substances that may have been administered medically after a collision but also have potential for abuse.  
    • Illegal drugs were primarily found in deceased drivers aged 20 to 39, while medicinal drugs were more common in those aged 30 and older.  
    • Among drivers aged 70 and above, medicinal drugs were detected more often than illegal drugs, though the overall numbers in this group were small.  
    • The five most frequently detected substances were cocaine, benzoylecgonine (a cocaine metabolite), cannabis, morphine, and ketamine, highlighting cocaine and cannabis as the most common illegal drugs in road fatalities.  
    • From 2014 to 2022, approximately two-thirds of casualties in drug-impaired collisions were fatalities. Of these, 91% were drivers with drugs detected in their system, indicating that most fatalities were drug-impaired drivers themselves. The majority of other casualties were passengers of the impaired driver. 

    Drink driving 

    • The central estimate of fatalities for 2022 is the highest level since 2009, and an increase compared to the previous year.  
    • The central estimate of the number of deaths in collisions with at least one driver over the alcohol limit for 2022 is 300. This represents about 18% of all deaths in reported road collisions in 2022.  
    • Overall, an estimated 6,800 people were killed or injured when at least one driver was over the drink-drive limit. This represents an increase of 1% from 6,740 in 2021. 
    • DfT collisions data where drink/drugs were reported as a key factor:  

    MIL Security OSI –